At DTU Chemical Engineering a PhD position is available in the frame of a European project funded by HORIZON CBE JU action. The project is in close collaboration with top class academic groups and industrial entities in Europe and it addresses the development of a process chain targeting valorization of carbon dioxide to algal proteins.
We, at DTU Chemical Engineering, will focus on generating new knowledge for optimizing biological conversion of carbon dioxide to acetic acid in close collaboration with an industrial end-user of the developed technology.
Responsibilities and tasks
Your overall focus will be to contribute to strengthen the department’s competences within gas fermentation technology. You will work with nearby colleagues and academic partners in Denmark as well as abroad. Your primary tasks will be to:
Qualifications
In accordance with the abovementioned, you should have qualifications within several of the following areas:
Expertise within fermentation technology and/or gas fermentation should be documented with the Master/Bachelor thesis and/or relevant publications in international journals.
The project and co-supervision of the PhD student will be in close collaboration with personnel enrolled at DTU Chemical Engineering. Availability for a highly active period, openness, and willingness for a fruitful collaboration is a prerequisite. Also, you should be available to start the PhD project on the 1 January 2026.
You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.
Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education
.
Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by an evaluation committee headed by Professor Hariklia Gavala.
We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.
Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union.
The period of employment is 3 years. Starting date is the 1 January 2026. The employment is for a full-time position.
You can read more about career paths at DTU here.
Further information
Further information may be obtained from Professor Hariklia Gavala, hnga@kt.dtu.dk
.
You can read more about DTU Chemical Engineering at www.kt.dtu.dk.
If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark
. Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar
” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.
Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 30 August 2025 (23:59 Danish time)
. Applications must be submitted as one PDF file
containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file
. The file must include:
Non-complete applications will not be further evaluated; therefore, make sure that all
abovementioned documents are included as one pdf file
in your application.
You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.
Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.
This position will be placed in Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, in Applied Thermodynamics – Center of Energy Resources Engineering
, which has a long tradition in research within Applied Thermodynamics, Transport Processes and Mathematical Modelling. The center has recently entered dynamically into Biorefinery Conversions research field. The focus of Biorefinery Conversions research group, headed by Professor H. Gavala, is on creating new knowledge for development of innovative and cost-efficient biological processes for production of chemicals, materials and biofuels from biomasses, industrial effluents and off-gases. The center has a total staff of approx. 50, of which 6 is faculty.
Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.